grrlscientist | November 30, 2009tags: Stephen Fry, The Joys of Swearing, comedy, humor, fucking hilarious, streaming video
This is Stephen Fry, waxing eloquent on the joys of swearing. Since this is British swearing, I find it amusing but not terribly offensive (I think Americans are much better at swearing).
grrlscientist | November 30, 2009tags: Columbus Circle, NYC, photography, NYC through my eye, image of the day
Columbus Circle, NYC, USA.
Image: GrrlScientist, 17 November 2009 [larger view].
Delta Airlines sent me an email, telling me it is time to check in for my return flight to the USA, which departs tomorrow at 1140am from Frankfurt. What do you think; should I return?
grrlscientist | November 30, 2009tags: education, academic achievement, university, college, Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's Public Universities, William G. Bowen, Matthew M. Chingos, Michael S. McPherson, book review
The second book review I've ever published in Nature Magazine appeared last week, roughly the same time I was on a trans-Atlantic flight from NYC to Frankfurt, Germany. Due to my lack of wireless and jet lag, I've neglected to mention this until now. This review discusses a book that I think is very important for everyone involved in higher education to read and think about: Crossing…
grrlscientist | November 30, 2009tags: Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerina, photographed at Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County, Illinois. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Janice Sweet, 20 October 2009 [larger view].
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
I am helping you prepare for the Christmas Bird Count by posting so many images of the Chipping Sparrow, since this is a commonly misidentified CBC species (in Illinois, at least).
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | November 30, 2009tags: new species, biology, botany, orchid, tiniest orchid, Orchidaceae, Platystele, Lou Jost
A close-up of the world's smallest orchid, at just over 2mm from petal tip to petal tip.
Image: Lou Jost.
The world's smallest orchid was discovered recently in a mountainous nature reserve in Ecuador by American botanist Lou Jost. Dr. Jost, a former physicist, now works as a mathematical ecologist, plant biogeographer and conservation scientist, and is one of the world's most expert orchid hunters. In the previous decade, Dr. Jost discovered 60 new species of orchids and 10 other new plant…
grrlscientist | November 30, 2009tags: FOX News, fuzzy math, comedy, humor, fucking hilarious, streaming video
Take a close look at the pie chart shown on this FOX Newscast and tell me if you see anything wrong with it?
This man is yet another shining example of the conservative kneejerk response to the so-called "liberal bias" in today's media. Was this newscaster's brain switched to the "on" position when he read those numbers?
grrlscientist | November 29, 2009tags: Japan, spa prank, comedy, humor, fucking hilarious, streaming video
I love Japan and the Japanese, but watching videos like this tend to make me paranoid. How about you?
grrlscientist | November 29, 2009tags: Columbus Circle, NYC, photography, NYC through my eye, image of the day
Columbus Circle, NYC, USA.
Image: GrrlScientist, 17 November 2009 [larger view].
This is one in a series of images I took on one of my last days in NYC. This was the last day I carried my camera with me as I ran around, collecting paperwork for my impending emigration. The day was glorious, the weather, perfect.
grrlscientist | November 29, 2009tags: Birdbooker Report, bird books, animal books, natural history books, ecology books
"How does one distinguish a truly civilized nation from an aggregation of
barbarians? That is easy. A civilized country produces much good bird
literature."
--Edgar Kincaid
The Birdbooker Report is a special weekly report of a wide variety of science, nature and behavior books that currently are, or soon will be available for purchase. This report is written by one of my Seattle birding pals and book collector, Ian "Birdbooker" Paulsen, and is edited by me and published here for your information and…
grrlscientist | November 29, 2009tags: Australian Pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Australian Pelican, Pelecanus conspicillatus, photographed at Atherton, Queensland, Australia. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan, 26 August 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
The Australian Pelican is found throughout Australia, Papua New Guinea and western Indonesia, with occasional reports in New Zealand and various western Pacific islands. Pelicans are…
grrlscientist | November 27, 2009tags: Columbus Circle, NYC, photography, NYC through my eye, image of the day
Columbus Circle, NYC, USA.
Image: GrrlScientist, 17 November 2009 [larger view].
This is one in a series of images I took on one of my last days in NYC. This was the last day I carried my camera with me as I ran around, collecting paperwork for my impending emigration. The day was glorious, the weather, perfect. It's rare days (in NYC) like this that made me wonder what I was doing to leave for a city I've never seen, and to live in a country I've never visited.
grrlscientist | November 27, 2009tags: Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus banksii, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Red-tailed Black Cockatoo, Calyptorhynchus banksii, also known as Bank's Black Cockatoo, photographed at Walgett, New South Wales, Australia. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan, 18 August 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | November 26, 2009tags: White-tailed Hawk, Buteo albicaudatus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] White-tailed Hawk, Buteo albicaudatus, photographed at the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 22 November 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | November 25, 2009
A morning view of downtown Frankfurt am Main from the window of the building where I live in Frankfurt. You can also see a large passenger plane flying over the city. It is likely following the same flight path that my plane was on when I arrived on 20 November 2009.
Image: GrrlScientist, 25 November 2009.
This morning, I snapped the above image of downtown Frankfurt from the top floor window of the building where I live, whilst waiting for the elevator.
Our flat does not have wireless yet, and likely won't have it until sometime around the 2nd of December. Of course, this has inspired…
grrlscientist | November 25, 2009tags: Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Western Gull, Larus occidentalis, photographed at Pt. Reyes, California. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 21 December 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/1000s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | November 24, 2009tags: birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery birds] photographed at Bolivar East Beach, Galveston County, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 17 October 2007 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/800s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
This image features a cluster of bird species; can you tell me how many species are present, what species they are, and how many individuals of each species you see?
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | November 23, 2009tags: Least Tern, Sterna antillarum, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Least Tern, Sterna antillarum, photographed at Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary, Houston, Texas. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Joseph Kennedy, 24 July 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200, Kowa 883 telescope with TSN-PZ camera eyepiece 1/750s f/8.0 at 1000.0mm iso400.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | November 23, 2009tags: insects, comedy, humor, bentekr, animation, streaming video
This video shows honeybees at work, and suddenly discovering a pot of honey on a picnic table. What do they do? This video follows the secret life of these bees.
grrlscientist | November 22, 2009tags: Swainson's Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus moluccanus, identify this bird, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz
[Mystery bird] Swainson's Blue Mountain Rainbow Lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus moluccanus, photographed at Yungaburra, Queensland, Australia. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]
Image: Steve Duncan, 26 August 2009 [larger view].
Nikon D200 w/ Nikkor 300mm f/4 & TC17E.
Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification.
Review all mystery birds to date.
grrlscientist | November 22, 2009I have arrived! And I've already done some important things;
Offended the saleslady at the mattress store. Oops!
Met a bunch of government officials in Customs, veterinary services and fellow travelers who just plain love birds. They all were a helluva lot nicer than the authorities in the USA!
Ordered alcoholic beverages in the German language (I'll leave it to you to guess what I ordered! and I will be updating this with the answer).
Slept on the floor, AGAIN!! OUCH!! Our mattress arrives in 4 weeks (right before Christmas, woopie!) so this is going to make for a veeery long month…